Confederate Street Renaming Pilot Program Policy and Procedures
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PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT CONFEDERATE STREET RENAMING PILOT PROGRAM POLICY AND PROCEDURE 2021/2022 Effective August 10, 2021 PURPOSE AND AUTHORITY The purpose of this policy and pilot program is to provide standard procedures for street renaming requests for roadways bearing the names of Confederate soldiers and leaders (see attachment). This pilot program provides guidance for renaming of up to three streets. Upon completion of renaming three streets, the Naming Committee will reevaluate the procedures or discontinue the program. Authority for street naming and renaming is defined by City Code Sec. 5-2-66 - Ordinance required for change of street name which states that, "The name of any street designated by the official naming map referred to in section 5-2-63 of this code or by subsequent designation by the planning commission shall not be changed except by the adoption of an ordinance by the city council. (Code 1963, Sec.33-46)". POLICY STATEMENTS Requesting a name change for roadways classified as an arterial and expressway, local, primary collector, residential collector, alley, or unnamed alley For any roadway identified on the Inventory of Confederate Street Names – June 2021 list, a petitioner is allowed to complete and submit a Street Name Change application through the Alexandria Permit and Planning portal (APEX) which includes a petition signed by a minimum of 25% of property owners with addresses along the roadway. For an alley, the petition should include signatures from property owners with addresses along the alley and owners with addresses from abutting properties that might not be addressed off the alley. Prior to submitting a final application, applicants are required to hold and document a minimum of one citizen led community meeting (virtual, in-person, or hybrid) to inform impacted property owners and other residents of the proposed name change. The community meeting shall be documented including participants, presentation materials, and meeting notes. The presentation shall include historic background information for the current street name, justification for street renaming, background information or history for the proposed street name, and information as to the impacts of the street renaming on property owners and residents. The applicant is required to provide and pay for notice of the community meeting and summary of the street name change to all impacted property owners and residents via certified mail. Notification materials must be reviewed and approved by Planning and Zoning staff prior to mailing. The purpose of the petition and documented community meeting is to demonstrate property owner support for the renaming request as well as alert property owners and other residents of the request, the process, and alert them to future public hearings that would occur on the matter. Page 1 of 4 Waiver of Signature Requirements for Non-Confederate Street Names For roadways not on the Inventory of Confederate Street Names – June 2021 list but bearing the name of a person with a potentially controversial history, a petitioner may request a waiver from the Naming Committee to obtain a petition signed by a minimum of 25% of property owners with addresses along the roadway (as opposed to the required 75% of property owners). Prior to collecting signatures and holding a community meeting, the petitioner must present historical research and justification at a Naming Committee meeting and request a waiver from the 75% signature requirements. STREET RENAMING IMPACTS Government related impacts: Homeowner/Business related impacts: USPS Administration – mail will be forwarded License changes for 18 months after name change. Registration changes Cost of new signage ($100-$300 per sign) Billing changes GIS maps changes (30-80 hours per street) Insurance changes Subscription changes Social Security update Stationary changes Signage changes Business cards Advertising changes including print, TV/radio/web commercials, websites, social media accounts, signage, flyers, etc. FILING PROCEDURES Prior to submitting a request form through APEX, the petitioner shall speak with Department of Planning and Zoning staff to review the code criteria detailed in City Code Sec. 5-2-61 through 5-2-66 necessary for identifying an appropriate street name for consideration by City Council and identify a street name that would be amenable to the property owners. The name change request shall be submitted on the standard Street Name Change Application available through the APEX Document Library. Application submissions must be received on or before the monthly filing deadline and must be submitted online via the Alexandria Permit and Planning portal (APEX). Street Classification Street classifications can be found using the VDOT’s street classification map. Street name changes will not be considered if: • The proposed street name is a duplication of an existing street name in Alexandria; • The proposed street name change is a near duplication in spelling to an existing street or phonetically similar to an existing street; • The existing street name has significant historical value to the City; • The street name requested to be renamed is perceived to be offensive to segments of the City’s citizenry; • If the proposed street name change is longer than 14 characters; Page 2 of 4 • If the proposed street name is after a living person; and • If the proposed street name is after commercial entity or implies a commercial endorsement. APPLICATION CHECKLIST • Street Name Change application • Site Plan o Provide a location map of the proposed renaming with effected address range. o Identify and list all properties abutting the affected roadway. • Signed Petition o The petition must clearly identify the current and proposed street name and include history and justification for the change. o The petition must be signed by a minimum of 25% of property owners abutting the roadway. Petitions can be submitted using the petition template provided in the application package, via e-mail, or by using an electronic petition website. o Petitioners must include their name, valid address, and signatures. If submitting electronic petitions, a valid e-mail address must be submitted in lieu of a signature. • Community Meeting documentation o Provide proof of USPS certified mail notice to all affected properties. o Provide sign-in sheets, meeting minutes, summary of comments and discussion. All portions of the application package must be completed in order for the application to be reviewed. The application package will be rejected if deemed to be incomplete. Upon receipt of a complete application, the request will be processed through the Department of Planning and Zoning, and the appropriate public hearings will be scheduled. FILING FEE There is no filing fee. REVIEW PROCESS • Once the application package has been accepted, it will be assigned a case number and circulated to various City agencies for their review and comment. • Planning & Zoning staff will prepare a staff report with street name case details and information to the Naming Committee which will make a recommendation to the Planning Commission which will then make a recommendation City Council for consideration and approval or denial. • The review process will take approximately four months from time of application submission to hearing at City Council. • Only three street renaming applications will be accepted as part of the pilot program. PROPERTY OWNER WRITTEN NOTIFICATION PRIOR TO HEARING The City will provide written notice to all abutting property owners prior to Planning Commission and City Council public hearings. Page 3 of 4 REQUESTS TO DEFER OR WITHDRAW At any point during the review process, the applicant may request that the application be deferred to an upcoming docket or withdrawn entirely. All requests to defer or withdraw must be submitted in writing. An application may also be put on hold for up to six months. It is the responsibility of the applicant to notify staff to re-docket a held application. If there is no activity within six months, the application will be withdrawn by staff. Page 4 of 4 INVENTORY OF CONFEDERATE STREET NAMES IN ALEXANDRIA, VA June 2021 Note: This is an update to the 2016 Inventory of Confederate Street Names in Alexandria, VA, based on additional research by the Office of Historic Alexandria. Sources include the City’s 1952 ordinance on street naming, post-annexation maps of Alexandria’s West End, and newspaper articles. Additions to the 2016 Inventory are noted with an asterisk (*). Armistead Street – Named for Lewis Addison Armistead, General CSA; Armistead was married at Christ Church, Alexandria Beauregard Street – Named for Pierre G.T. Beauregard, General, CSA; designer of the Confederate “Battle Flag” Bragg Street – Named for Braxton Bragg, General, CSA Breckinridge Place – Named for John Cabell Breckinridge, elected Vice President of the United States in 1856; later served as Brigadier General, CSA Calhoun Avenue – Named for J. Lawrence Calhoun, Major, CSA Chambliss Street – Named for John Randolph Chambliss, Jr., Brigadier General, CSA *Davis Avenue – Named for Jefferson Davis, former president of the Confederacy Dearing Street – Named for James Dearing, the last Confederate general to die in battle Donelson Street – Named for Daniel Smith Donelson, Brigadier General, CSA Early Street – Named for Jubal A. Early, Brigadier General, CSA *Evans Lane – Named for Clement A. Evans, Brigadier General, CSA Floyd Street – Named for John Buchanan Floyd,